VERMONT HOMESCHOOL LAW

Compulsory School Age: 6 - 16

Vermont state law offers one legal homeschooling option, which is to establish and operate a homeschool.  Parents wishing to school their children at home must annually complete and submit a notice of enrollment with the Department of Education by March 1 for the following year.  The notice of enrollment must also include a "detailed outline or narrative which describes the content to be provided in each subject area of the minimum course of study."  Students schooling under this option are required to study reading, writing, math, citizenship, history, U.S. and Vermont government, physical education, health, literature (including English and American), science, and fine arts.  The student's academic progress must be annually evaluated and may take the form of any of the following:

1. Assessment by a Vermont licensed teacher

2. A report prepared by the parents, the student's instructor, or a teacher advisory service report from a publisher of a commercial curriculum together with a portfolio of the student's work that includes work samples to demonstrate progress in each subject area in the minimum course of study
    
3. The complete results of a standardized achievement test approved by the Commissioner of Education

There are no regulations requiring attendance, parent/teacher qualifications, or recordkeeping.

View these websites for more information about Vermont homeschool laws:

• Home School Legal Defense Association

• National Home Education Network

• Vermont Education Code for Homeschooling

• Vermont Department of Education

Please note: This is a brief summary of Vermont homeschool law and is presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice.